Young and Beautiful
by bs13
Summary: "Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?" She asked him one random night. Jara oneshot.


**I don't own House of Anubis. I had this in my head so long and I thought it would come out much better...**

She ran her fingers over his lips, warm and slightly rough, her sensitive fingertips lingering over every crevice. He kissed her fingers as she did, making her smile. Her fingers moved to his cheek, her short nails swirling in circles on his skin with no worry of hurting him. His own fingers wound themselves in her hair as he stared deeply into her eyes.

Blue was her new favorite color.

His fingertips toyed with the ends of her silky, straight locks. His palm slid onto her shoulder, his fingers gripping the material of her shirt like he was comforting her. His other hand went to her cheek, cradling the soft tan skin in his palm.

Her hands went from his face to his neck. The skin of her hands radiated warmth that made him want to laugh. It was a tickling sensation. His hands moved to her waist, gently pulling her closer. His hands moved on her back, rubbing soothing circles between her shoulder blades.

He kissed her gently.

His lips were closed and he wanted nothing more than to feel her soft lips on his. It wasn't a hungry, passionate kiss like most nights. It was just soft and lingering.

She pulled away first and buried her face in his chest, inhaling his scent of faded cologne and fresh cotton. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was him.

He held her close and kissed her head softly. Her hair, soft and smelling of lilac, left a tingling feeling on his lips after he did. She always had that same shampoo smell, but he didn't care. It was her.

"Jerome."

The words were quiet, perhaps just a way for her to test if her voice was still working.

"Mara."

His words were teasing, but just as quiet. His hands traveled to her lower back.

"It seems so unreal, doesn't it? You and me?"

Jerome and Joy hadn't worked out.

After high school, Jerome and Joy tried dating, but it didn't feel right. Jerome ached for something different that he couldn't decipher and Joy never truly got over Fabian. But they were fine with that. They stayed friends.

Jerome ran into Mara one chance meeting at the library. It was then that he realized she was the something different that he needed.

It had been six months together, but for them, it was forever.

"Believe it, Jaffray. We're together again," Jerome whispered into her hair.

"Are we rushing into things?" Mara wondered aloud.

They lived together and had talked about things like marriage. Maybe they were.

"No," Jerome answered despite the evidence proved otherwise, kissing her ear. "We've known each other so long already."

"Why do you love me?" Mara asked suddenly.

"For many reasons." Jerome answered, unsure where this had come from.

"Am I beautiful?" Mara asked shyly, her cheeks heating up.

"You're stunning," Jerome assured her, kissing her forehead as though that could prove it true.

"Do you love me because I'm beautiful?"

Jerome pulled Mara's face away from his chest and he met her eyes. He looked almost shocked, and Mara looked away, biting her lip hard enough to taste the thin flavor of blood.

"No," Jerome said slowly. "I love you for so many more reasons."

"So you don't love me because I'm beautiful?" Mara questioned.

"I do love you. Just not for your beauty...though it does help," Jerome teased.

"Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?" Mara asked suddenly.

"Of course I will." Jerome smiled fondly at his girlfriend. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I've just been thinking," Mara mumbled, feeling foolish.

"Thinking's dangerous. See why I never do it?" Jerome joked.

"What if we hadn't met?" Mara inquired.

"I'd be a lost wreck with no direction in life," Jerome said, "and you'd be off with some handsome guy and a great life."

Mara ignored his teasing.

"What if we didn't meet until years later, when we'd be married to different people?" Mara wondered.

"We'd be friends and secretly in love. At least in my case." Jerome said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Or if we meet when we were old?" Mara muttered.

"I'd still be head over heels for you," Jerome countered.

"It wouldn't be the same, would it?" Mara looked at him with watery eyes. "I'm so scared, Jerome. Scared that this won't work again and we'll end up without each other again."

"That's not going to happen, Mara."

"But if it did?"

"For someone who's all about facts and reasoning, you make no sense." Jerome grinned. "What's with the what if questions? That's not the scientific Mara Jaffray I know."

"You don't know me as well as you think, Jerome," Mara challenged.

"I don't?" Jerome smirked. "Throw me a question. I'll answer it."

"What's my favorite color?"

"Easy. Purple."

"Wrong," Mara smiled slyly.

"What? Since when?" Jerome said, surprised.

"It's now blue, like your eyes," Mara said, and she kissed his cheek. "Now, what's my favorite shape?"

"A triangle." Jerome answered. "Because it's underrated and the perfect combination of structured and beautiful." Mara smiled at how he remembered all the tiny details.

"Okay, my favorite song?" Mara asked.

"Young and beautiful by Lana del Rey. Hey, isn't that question you asked me a line from that song?" Jerome grinned at the realization.

"Which question?" Mara played the innocent.

"The one where you said 'Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful', right?" Jerome said.

"Don't judge me or anything..." Mara said, flushing in the most adorable way (or at least in Jerome's eyes). "I just was hearing that song and I got to thinking, like I said..."

"I promise you, it won't go wrong this time," Jerome said, pressing another kiss to Mara's forehead tenderly.

"What makes you so sure?" Mara pouted.

"Because I promise," Jerome said.

"How important is your promise? I'm sorry Jerome, but after all that happened..." Mara trailed off.

Jerome didn't answer. Instead he got off the couch and walked away. Before Mara could panic or anything, Jerome came back, a small box in hand. Mara's hands flew to her mouth. It was the right size for a ring...

"Don't freak out," Jerome said quickly. "It's not what you think it is."

Mara relaxed.

"So, what is it then?" Mara asked.

"It's my promise to you," Jerome said. He opened the box to reveal a ring. It wasn't a proposal ring, as it was much less fancy and just a simple silver band.

"A promise ring?" Mara whispered, and her fingers tentatively reach out and touched the box.

"Yeah," Jerome said sheepishly. "I know it's not the best time to give it to you, but I've been waiting for a while. I didn't want to seem like I was trying to rush anything between us, but...I want us to work this time. I don't want to mess things up between us again. I want to give you my promise."

"You really mean that?" Mara asked.

"Of course I do," Jerome flushed. "With your consent, of course."

Mara nodded, letting a tear fall, but she quickly wiped it away.

"Sorry," Mara babbled. "I just- it feels so weird."

Jerome placed the ring on her finger and kissed her cheek reassuringly. Jerome had never been a tender guy when he was younger, nor a faithful one, but he was determined to change that.

"This is okay then?" Jerome asked breathlessly, placing his arms around her again as he sat back down on the couch.

"Yes," Mara smiled at him. Jerome couldn't help but smile back. The way her eyes moved as though they were about to close but never did, the way her lips would always stretch wide, showing off all her teeth...he found her smile irresistible. Mara never had a bashful smile; she did once in a while, but mostly when she was happy, she would give Jerome her toothy grin and he could melt for her, like he always did.

It wasn't like that was a bad thing.

"We should leave soon," Jerome broke the silence. "I mean, we do have to go meet Patricia and Eddie at that gala thing."

"I don't even want to go," Mara huffed. "Can't we say something came up?"

"Devious, Jaffray," Jerome's eyes twinkled. "You want to _lie_? Who are you and what have you done to Mara?"

"Very funny Jerome," Mara stuck out her tongue at him. "I just don't feel like leaving right now. I'm tired and I just want to spend some time with my boyfriend...is that too much to ask?"

"It won't be half bad. Maybe Willow will even show up to see me." Jerome teased, but his face fell as Mara's did. "Bad joke? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, you know, like in high school..."

"Jerome," Mara said quietly, and she looked kind of sad as she played with the silver ring on her finger.

"I didn't mean it, honest!" Jerome isisted.

"If we want to work, we need to stop everything. No more jokes, no teasing, nothing. I want us to end up together. I know you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, but I need some closure once in a while..." Mara gave a breathy sigh, her eyes still glued to her ring.

"I promise you, I won't mess things up, okay? We'll stay home here and let them have that gala themselves," Jerome promised, and he went in for a kiss. Mara stopped him, placing a hand on his lips, but not tenderly like before.

"What? Leave them alone? When they invited us? No way! That would be rude!" Mara said, getting up. "Get your tux ready; I'll iron it for you."

"What? But you just said you didn't want to-"

"I'm going to get ready, and if you have any sense, you will too." Mara looked at him smugly, as though this was her form of revenge. Jerome groaned.

If there was something he hated, it was getting ready for a party.

Mara Jaffray just knew him too well.

Then again, maybe that was what made them work.

**Yay! The end! By the way, has anyone else gone to see Despicable Me 2? Awesome movie! Anyway, I love you guys! Thanks for reading and please review!**


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